Create. Build. Sustain

Nguyen would use the pen her father gave her to write poetry to express her thoughts and feelings.

From there she fell in love with all things stationery, including pens, specialty papers and stickers — lots of stickers.

The business name was inspired by her daughter and their love for anime, which is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan.

“We absolutely adored an anime show called, “Letters to Momo,” and hence the name for the shop came about,” Nguyen said. “Zoë really hasn’t had a chance to write letters to me, but she would always write in her cards given to me. I keep them in a keepsake box.”

Being raised in an old-school Asian family, words of encouragement did not happen often, so Nguyen grew to become independent of the need for approval from others.

She says she is not a very emotional person.

“I am more of a get-up-and-get-over-it kind of gal,” she jokes. “But Zoë’s a little more sensitive than I am and needs more of the sweeter encouragements. I have written to her in cards and notes words of encouragement and of how proud I am of her. After having my own children and having to manage my own team, I realized that there are those that need those words of encouragement. And I am best at writing those down, on a card, a note or letter.”

AMPOL has acquired several new pieces of equipment in our efforts to continue to provide our customers with the best experience possible. We can now perform multiple services at a single job site, which increases the efficiency and the quality of work itself.

The stationary shop also hosts local stationary vendors and artists.

“We are big supporters of local artists,” she said. “We have several community artists that have their artwork sold at the shop like Print Doodle Press, who uses an antique press to create unique designs, and The Pressed Posy, who creates wall art composed of real pressed flowers from their garden.”

The shop is located at 5905 Phelan Blvd. Suite E, Beaumont.

For more information, call 409-242-1876.

— Written by Sierra Kondos

Quilt, fabric shop a dream come true for entrepreneur

Cindy Thomas follows passion that began in childhood to bring new community together

She’s been sewing and working with fabric since childhood and made her first quilt in 1985.

She then put away the quilting tools, and that was that.

“I was busy adulting. I was going to school full time, working full time and really didn’t do any hobbies at all,”

Thomas said while standing in her brightly lit shop with its colorful fabrics and quilts.

The path to owning her own quilt and fabric shop took some years to maneuver, but it was all worth it for Thomas.

As her daughters were born, she sewed clothes for them, bought a little embroidery machine and did some work of this kind of craft but didn’t consider a quilt again.

That is until she went to a quilt show in 2016, walked in and her “mind was blown.”

There were the traditional quilts, art quilts and modern quilts.

“It was fabulous artistry,” she said. “I was absolutely amazed.”

That’s when quilting fever struck. She joined the local quilt guild, made new friends and learned a lot.

She quit her teaching job in 2017 and in 2019 she and her husband decided to buy a long arm quilting machine.

Come Sit Play

“Everything was fabulous,” Thomas said. “There was a show coming up in 2020 so I was getting a lot of quilts in, then the pandemic hit and I thought this was probably the worst idea I’ve ever had in my lifetime — to start a business and now we have worldwide pandemic.”

But the pandemic lockdown ended up being a time for other quilters to sew up their stash on hand and make quilt tops. Soon she was getting calls from people wanting to drop off their unfinished quilt at her porch for her to finish for them for a fee.

“I was quilting like a fiend,” she said. “I think I took in 42 client quilts the first year, 50-something the next year and this past year I did something like 67.”

Thomas uses her 12-foot computerized robotic long arm quilting machine in her work and was happy with this but always wanted a fabric shop.

“My husband and I talked about it and he said, ‘you know what? You’re never going to be any younger or feel any better than you are today, so let’s try it,’” she said of the decision to open the brick and mortar shop.

She found the right fit and opened the shop at 2926 Nall St. in Port Neches on Black Friday.

The shop stocks fabric, notions, zippers, sewing machine needles and such, and Thomas creates quilts. She said she loves taking quilt tops that have been passed down and creating something usable. She also works with memory quilts, T-shirt quilts and commissioned quilts, such as for a wedding.

She doesn’t have a favorite quilt she has made but her current, kindof favorite was stumbled upon by accident. She called it Yellowstone.

“The quilting world was talking about this Beth Dutton quilt from the show Yellowstone,” she said.

Thomas doesn’t watch the show but decided to look up the quilt that was being referenced and made a replica of sorts.

Thomas is highly appreciative of the local quilt guild, its members, all she has learned from others and the friendship.

One of those members is friend and mentor Dot Collins.

Collins is retired from local industry after working as a chemist and is also a longtime quilter. She, too, loves the guild and the smaller groups or “bees” as they are called.

In fact most of her friends are all quilters, she said.

Collins visited with Thomas at the new shop recently and marveled at what her friend is doing. She said opening a fabric shop is something she would not wish to do but knows Thomas’ spot is important. She said Thomas will be an asset to quilters for years to come.

Thomas has a vision for her shop for the winter months, one that started in 2023. She calls it Welcome Wednesday.

People can come in and bring their hand work, sit around, visit and get out of the

•Treasure Hunt• Carnival• Parade

•Pageants• Chili Cook-Off• Craft Market •Fun Run• Car/Motorcycle Show •Golf Tournament • Live Entertainment

•Art & Photography Exhibition •Free Entry & Parking

Held

Located on Boston Avenue in the Heart of Downtown Nederland house mid-week. She’ll throw on a pot of coffee, visitors can bring snacks or a lunch and they’ll just sit around like old times, she said.

The shop is closed on Thursdays and Sundays and opens the rest of the week from noon to 5 p.m.

The late opening time is because she gets up early and works on the long arm machine at her own studio, she said.

Thomas looked toward the large front window of the shop and noted the two soft chairs.

She said there is a lady that likes to come and sits in one of the chairs to sew her binding. She said she likes the window because she “had good light.”

“She’ll come in and just visit and bind a quilt, and I love that,” Thomas said. “A big part of the feel of this to me is that little girl playhouse where you want all your friends to come, share my toys, bring your toys just sit and visit.”

— Written by Mary Meaux

With more than 20,000 square feet of divisible space and over 1,200 square feet of smaller meeting rooms, the Robert A. “Bob” Bowers Civic Center brings it all together for you. Our centrally located facility o ers quality service, free parking and a professional sta to help make your event a success – all this in a clean and bright atmosphere at a ordable rates.

If you’re looking for a smaller venue, the Museum of the Gulf Coast, Pompeiian Villa or a newly refreshed, upscale restaurant like The Pompano are great options for an intimate group to enjoy fellowship, food and live music.

Port Arthur continues to bring business to SETX. Whether your event is related to sports, social, the military, family or class reunions, religious, corporate or associations, our o ce can help you strategically plan and promote your event in order to increase success and attendance. Our free personalized servicing plan is sure to add a little lagniappe to any event!